Lung cancer surgery for older patients: a narrative review
Introduction
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, and the number of older patients afflicted by it is increasing (1,2). In Japan, the number of older lung cancer patients aged 80 or above undergoing surgery has increased up to 1.5 times compared to 10 years ago (from 2,273/26,092, 8.7% in 2007 to 5,779/44,140, 13.1% in 2017) (3,4). According to past publications, the results of select overall outcomes of surgery for older lung cancer patients, despite being poorer than those of younger generations, were still acceptable; the postoperative morbidity rate was 20–28%, while mortality rate 2.3–8% (5,6). Previous review articles have summarized the outcomes of lung cancer surgery in older patients; however, they merely stated the surgical results based on several older studies (7-9). Surgical resection is the most effective therapeutic intervention for lung cancer; however, it is associated with a relatively high risk of morbidity and mortality, especially for older patients, which is a major concern for surgeons. Furthermore, there are no definitive criteria for surgical indication, appropriate procedures of limited resection or radical lobectomy, and postoperative follow-ups in our daily clinical practice, which also contribute to this complex issue faced by the older generation but not the younger ones. Recent publications demonstrated that the postoperative complication rate and long-term survival of older patients who underwent lung cancer surgery were reasonable (7,9); therefore, active surgical treatment is considered desirable. However, objective optimal surgical indications and procedures and outpatient follow-ups based on appropriate risk management, especially for borderline patients with multiple comorbidities, are unclear. Thus, this presents a major knowledge gap in lung cancer surgery for older patients.
This review aimed to analyze recent impactful publications regarding lung cancer surgery and radiation therapy in older patients and provide a desirable prospective for treating older patients with lung cancer. This article is presented in accordance with the Narrative Review reporting checklist (available at https://ccts.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/ccts-22-12/rc).
Methods
We reviewed English publications regarding human clinical studies from January 1997 to October 2022 on lung cancer in older patients, which were searched for in the MEDLINE database of PubMed. The search was conducted on 31 October 2022, and the following search terms were used: “octogenarian lung cancer surgery” and “non-small cell lung cancer and “elderly lung cancer surgery”, and nonagenarian lung cancer surgery”, or “radiation therapy for lung cancer” or “sarcopenia and frailty of elderly lung cancer”, and “delirium after lung cancer surgery”, all associated with lung cancer or gerontological issues in older patients. We restricted the included articles to those on octogenarian lung cancer surgery, and excluded case reports, studies with a sample size under 50, and systematic reviews. Two authors, primarily Haruaki Hino, selected these publications, and the final selection was made after consensus by both. The detailed search results for this review article are demonstrated in Table 1 and Table 2.
Table 1
Items | Specification |
---|---|
Date of search | 31 October 2022 |
Databases and other sources searched | The MEDLINE database of PubMed |
Search terms used | “octogenarian lung cancer surgery” and “non-small cell lung cancer and “elderly lung cancer surgery”, and nonagenarian lung cancer surgery”, or “radiation therapy for lung cancer” or “sarcopenia and frailty of elderly lung cancer”, or “octogenarian lung cancer” or “quality of life after lung cancer surgery", and “delirium after lung cancer surgery” |
Timeframe | From January 1997 to October 2022 |
Inclusion and exclusion criteria | Inclusion: the above-mentioned method and publications searched by those key words. Exclusion: case reports, studies with a sample size under 50, systematic reviews, and non-English literature |
Selection process | Two authors, primarily Haruaki Hino, selected the publications, and the final selection was made after consensus by both |
Any additional considerations, if applicable | Rare case series with a sample size under 50 were included; additionally, studies on surgery for nonagenarian, comparison between octogenarian and younger patients, lymph node dissection for octogenarian, radiotherapy for octogenarian, and quality of life after surgery among older patient were considered |
Table 2
No. | Searches | Results |
---|---|---|
1 | Octogenarian lung cancer surgery | 159 |
2 | Octogenarian non-small cell lung cancer | 106 |
3 | Elderly lung cancer surgery | 47,466 |
4 | 1 and 2 and 3 | 37 |
5 | Nonagenarian lung cancer surgery | 13 |
6 | 3 and 7 | 3 |
7 | Octogenarian lung cancer | 189 |
8 | Radiation therapy for lung cancer | 39,594 |
9 | 7 and 8 | 12 |
10 | Quality of life after lung cancer surgery | 1,368 |
11 | 1 and 2 and 3 and 10 | 8 |
12 | Sarcopenia and frailty of elderly lung cancer | 12 |
13 | 3 and 12 | 25 |
14 | Delirium after lung cancer surgery | 27 |
15 | 3 and 14 | 6 |
Definition of older patient with non-small cell lung cancer
The aging of populations is a serious socioeconomic problem worldwide. The World Health Organization recently defined individuals aged ≥65 years as older people; those aged 65–74 and ≥75 years are called early- and late-stage older patients, respectively (10). Moreover, Japan has one of the most rapidly aging populations globally, and the Japan Gerontological Society recently advocated that the new definition for “old” should be categorized into “pre-old” patients aged 65–74 years, “true-old” patients aged ≥75 years, and “oldest-old” or “super-old” patients aged ≥90 years (11). In clinical practice, individuals aged ≥75 years are widely accepted as older patients based on evidence that recent clinical trials or studies regarding surgeries or chemotherapy with newly developed drugs mostly include patients aged ≤75 years. Regarding the surgical indications for older patients, the North American and European guidelines commonly state that “age” alone is not a contraindication for lung cancer surgery (12-14). Indications for lung cancer surgery in older patients with multiple comorbidities are controversial, and no definitive surgical indications have been established. In recent clinical practice, surgeons assess patients based on their performance status, cardiopulmonary function, comorbidity, cognitive function, and social background to decide on performing surgery, whether it should be radical or limited, and if lymph node dissection is required or not. In the 1990s, outcomes of lung cancer surgery in older patients, mostly defined as septuagenarians, were reported (15-17). Subsequently, the age of patients with non-small cell lung cancer has been increasing with approximately half of them aged ≥70 years (1,4). Although there were reports that included lung cancer patients aged 70 or older, the outcomes of these patients did not differ much from that of the entire cohort; thus, it did not describe the true characteristics of older lung cancer patients. To investigate and explore clinically accurate features of older lung cancer patients undergoing surgery and discuss the outcomes unique to these patients, surgeons raised the age cutoff value in the definition of older patients to 80 or above. Accordingly, studies of lung cancer surgery in older patients emphasized on older generations, considering individuals aged ≥80 years as an accurate starting point. Thereafter, surgeons considered that older patients with lung cancer aged ≥80 years had comparatively higher surgical risks than other patients who fell under the category of “old” patient. Therefore, we reviewed various studies regarding non-small cell lung cancer surgery in older patients, particularly octogenarians, and other treatment modalities using the latest issues and provided a useful base for future treatment.
Postoperative complications and mortality among older patients with lung cancer
In a study by Oxnard et al. (18), among octogenarians with all clinical stages of lung cancer, surgery was performed for 17.1% (19/111) of them, a number smaller than the number of surgeries performed for younger patients. Surgeons should acknowledge that only a few candidates are eligible for surgery among all patients with non-small cell lung cancer, especially octogenarians. Reports of non-small cell lung cancer clinical or pathological stage I to III among octogenarians undergoing surgery increased from the early 2000s. The reported surgical results from prospective and retrospective cohorts with >50 patients each between 1997 and 2021 are summarized in Table 3 (19-37). The mean/median (range) morbidity and mortality rates were 37.9/37.5% (8.4–88.0%) and 3.2/2.9% (1.1–8.8%), respectively, which demonstrated that most studies reported acceptable outcomes that were improving with time. In detail, preoperative co-morbidity was present in 33.5–91.0% of patients, and patients who underwent radical lobectomy, bi-lobectomy or pneumonectomy presented a rate as high as 66.8–92.9%, demonstrating that even older lung cancer patients with several comorbidities were able to undergo radical surgery with acceptable outcomes (23,26,28,32-35). Concurrently, the number of older patients with lung cancer who do not have severe co-morbidity has been increasing. In contrast, in patients with multiple comorbidities and a poor performance status, limited surgery is likely to be indicated to reduce the risk of postoperative complications resulting from the optimal selection by the surgeon. However, surgical indications and procedures for patients with multiple comorbidities, lower pulmonary function, or poor performance status are difficult to ascertain because no definitive indications and guidelines have been established for these scenarios. Recent publications have reported the differences in the surgical outcomes between octogenarians and younger generations. Detillon et al. reported a significantly higher mortality following octogenarian lung cancer surgery; however, the morbidity was similar to that of younger generations based on a Dutch nationwide database (33). In contrast, according to Japanese and Korean single institutional analyses, the morbidity and mortality of octogenarians after lung cancer surgery were almost equivalent to those of septuagenarians using propensity score matching (Table 4) (33,38-40). On comparing early and late octogenarians undergoing surgery, postoperative morbidity and survival were similar between the two groups (Table 5) (41-43). Moreover, some studies pertained to nonagenarian lung cancer surgery (Table 6). Limited case studies in Japan showed no postoperative mortality (44,45), however, Yang et al. demonstrated that the 90-day mortality rate was as high as approximately 10% using an American database (46); to clarify the short-term outcomes, we may use database scoring system produced by the Surgeon of Thoracic Society database [2012–2014] from the United States of America, the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons database from Europa or National Clinical Database from Japan to predict the postoperative morbidity and mortality with high accuracy (47-49). When using systems that take into account factors such as multiple comorbidities, performance status and respiratory function, not only surgeons but also lung cancer patients and their family could achieve a consensus and arrive at a desirable postoperative outcome, especially in the case of marginal high-risk older lung cancer patients. In summary, the short-term outcomes of lung cancer surgery in older patients were considered almost acceptable even when compared that of a younger population aged under 60 years. These results are most likely the reflection of the evidence that surgeons decided an indication and procedure based on performance status and cardiopulmonary ability as well as using surgical risk score and their experience to make an optimal selection. For cases where the surgical indications are unclear, a clear set of criteria or guidelines are required for improved clinical practice and treatment outcomes.
Table 3
Year | Author | Study design | Sample size | Stage | Morbidity (%) | Mortality (%) | Risk factors for complications |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Pagni S (19) | Single-center retrospective | 54 | c-stage I–IIIA | 42.0 | 3.7 | N/A |
2004 | Brock MV (20) | Single-center retrospective | 68 | c-stage I–IV | 88.0 | 8.8 | N/A |
2004 | Port JL (21) | Single-center retrospective | 61 | c-stage I–IIIA | 38.0 | 1.6 | N/A |
2005 | McVay CL (22) | Single-center retrospective | 159 | c-stage I | 18.0 | 1.8 | N/A |
2006 | Dominguez-Ventura A (23) | Single-center retrospective | 379 | p-stage I–IV | 48.0 | 6.3 | Congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction |
2006 | Allen MS (24) | Multicenter prospective | 70 | c-stage I–III | 49.0 | 2.9 | N/A |
2007 | Ikeda N (25) | Single-center retrospective | 73 | c-stage I–IV | 37.0 | 4.1 | N/A |
2007 | Brokx HA (26) | Multicenter retrospective | 124 | c-stage I–IV | ND | 4.0 | N/A |
2008 | Mun M (27) | Single-center retrospective | 55 | c-stage I | 25.6 | 3.6 | N/A |
2009 | Okami J (28) | Multicenter retrospective | 367 | c-stage I | 8.4 | 1.4 | Comorbidity, mediastinal lymph node dissection |
2011 | Fanucchi O (29) | Single-center retrospective | 82 | c-stage I–II | 30.4 | 2.4 | N/A |
2011 | Berry MF (30) | Single-center retrospective | 193 | p-stage I–IV | 46.0 | 3.6 | Extent of resection, thoracotomy, impaired lung function |
2015 | Hino H (31) | Single-center retrospective | 94 | c-stage I–IIIA | 27.0 | 1.1 | N/A |
2015 | Matsuoka K (32) | Single-center retrospective | 174 | c-stage I–II | 24.3 | 1.15 | Low body mass index |
2018 | Detillon DDEMA (33) | Nationwide retrospective | 168 | N/A | 42.3 | 6.0 | Low respiratory function, low ASA, coronary artery bypass graft, COPD, thoracotomy, radical resection |
2018 | Hino H (34) | Multicenter retrospective | 337 | c-stage I–IIIA | 35.3 | 1.8 | Male sex, operation time |
2018 | Saji H (35) | Nationwide prospective | 895 | c-stage I–IIIA | 34 | 1.6 | Male sex, CGA7, low albumin level, low VC%, SCS |
2021 | Saftic I (36) | Single-center retrospective | 257 | c-stage I–III | 43.6 | 3.11 | COPD |
2021 | Bongiolatti S (37) | Multicenter retrospective | 329 | c-stage I–III | 45.2 | 1.2 | Age ≥80 years, male sex, CCI >4, Performance status >1, FEV1% <60, DLCO <60% |
N/A, not analyzed; ND, not determined; ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CGA, comprehensive geriatric assessment; VC, vital capacity; SCS, Simplified Comorbidity Score; CCI, Charlson Comorbidity Index; FEV1%, forced expiratory volume in one second; DLCO, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide.
Table 4
Year | Author | Sample size | Stage | Comparison (years) [n] | Principal findings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Srisomboon C (38) | 24 | All stages | 75–79 [70] | Morbidity, mortality, and OS were almost equivalent to those of younger populations |
2018 | Detillon DDEMA (33) | 168 | All stages | 60–69 [1,031], 70–79 [934] | Mortality was higher; however, morbidity was equivalent to that of younger populations |
2018 | Hong S (39) | 34 | c-stage I | 50–79 [457] | Morbidity, mortality, and survival (OS and RFS) were equivalent to those of the younger population |
2020 | Nakao M (40) | 70 | cN0 | 70–79 [205] | Morbidity, mortality, and survival (OS and CSS) were equivalent to those of younger populations |
OS, overall survival; RFS, recurrence-free survival; CSS, cancer-specific survival.
Table 5
Author | Total sample size (n) | 80–84 years (n) | ≥85 years (n) | Principal findings |
---|---|---|---|---|
Smelt J (41) | 94 | 76 | 18 | Morbidity and mortality were equivalent |
Iijima Y (42) | 76 | 64 | 12 | Age ≥85 years and cigarette smoking were poor prognostic factors for OS and RFS |
Ichinokawa H (43) | 394 | 320 | 74 | Morbidity, mortality, and survival were equivalent |
OS, overall survival; RFS, recurrence-free survival.
Table 6
Author | Sample size | Principal findings |
---|---|---|
Iwata T (44) | 2 | No surgical mortality after omitting mediastinal lymph node dissection |
Miyazaki T (45) | 5 | No surgical mortality with acceptable survival (median 3.4 years) |
Yang CJ (46) | 266 | Of 7,205 nonagenarians, 266 (3.7%) underwent surgery with a 90-day mortality rate of 12.4% |
Prognostic factors for surgical octogenarian patients
Long-term survival outcomes after lung cancer surgery in octogenarians are listed in Table 7 (19-21,25-29,31,32,34,36,50). Postoperative mean and median (range) 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients, including those with stages I–IV cancers, were 45.5% and 43.0% (24.0–66.1%), respectively, which were deemed acceptable outcomes, although they were negatively impacted by age, comorbidity, and conditions with minimal adjuvant therapy. Regarding prognostic factors for long-term survival in the octogenarian cohort, higher age, male sex, multiple comorbidities, lower respiratory function, extent of resection, and higher tumor stages were reported as predictors of poor survival. The other reported poor prognostic factors are non-adenocarcinoma histology, lower Glasgow Prognostic Score, and resection status (R1 and R2), which are comprehensive and common prognostic variables. Although the surgical indications, procedures, and patient nationalities varied among the studies, the long-term survivals and prognostic factors detected were similar; this demonstrates that surgeons use similar criteria to determine surgical eligibility and select procedures targeting octogenarians with lung cancer.
Table 7
Year | Author | Study design | Sample size | Stage | 5-year overall survival (%) | Prognostic factors |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | Pagni S (19) | Single-center retrospective | 54 | c-stage I–IIIA | 43.0 | N/A |
2004 | Brock MV (20) | Single-center retrospective | 68 | c-stage I–IV | 34.0 | Advanced tumor stage, lower ASA physical status, low FEV1 |
2004 | Port JL (21) | Single-center retrospective | 61 | c-stage I–IIIA | 38.0 | N/A |
2007 | Ikeda N (25) | Single-center retrospective | 73 | c-stage I–IV | 57.4 | N/A |
2007 | Dominguez-Ventura A (50) | Single-center retrospective | 294 | p-stage I–IV | 34.0 | Extent of resection, p-stage |
2007 | Brokx HA (26) | Multicenter retrospective | 124 | c-stage I–IV | 24.0 | N/A |
2008 | Mun M (27) | Single-center retrospective | 55 | c-stage I | 65.9 | N/A |
2009 | Okami J (28) | Multicenter retrospective | 367 | c-stage I | 55.7 | N/A |
2011 | Fanucchi O (29) | Single-center retrospective | 82 | c-stage I–II | 27.0 | Male sex, ACE-27 |
2015 | Hino H (31) | Single-center retrospective | 94 | c-stage I-IIIA | 57.5 | Male sex, non-adenocarcinoma |
2015 | Matsuoka K (32) | Single-center retrospective | 174 | c-stage I–II | 48.3 | N/A |
2018 | Hino H (34) | Multicenter retrospective | 337 | c-stage I–IIIA | 66.1 | Male sex, CCI, GPS, p-stage |
2021 | Saftic I (36) | Single-center retrospective | 257 | c-stage I–III | 40.8 | p-stage, resection status |
N/A, not analyzed; ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in one second; ACE-27, Adult Co-Morbidity Evaluation-27; CCI, Charlson Comorbidity Index; GPS, Glasgow Prognostic Score.
Regarding the etiology of death, lung and non-lung cancer-associated mortality is another specific issue among older patients with lung cancer. These patients have a short life expectancy and a high non-cancer-related mortality rate, which affect their survival irrespective of the cancer stage. Hino et al. performed a competing risk analysis for lung- and non-cancer-related deaths and reported that limited resection and higher pathological stages were significantly associated with higher cancer-specific death; conversely, male sex, coronary artery disease, and higher pathological stages were significantly associated with higher non-cancer-specific death (51). Therefore, they suggested that surgical procedures should be carefully selected due to their impact on the etiology of death. Mimae et al. demonstrated that wedge resection reduced other causes of lung cancer-associated death in patients with non-small cell lung cancer aged ≥80 years compared to that in younger patients (52); they suggested that wedge resection might be a better alternative to radical surgery in terms of etiology of death among octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer. Since these were small cohort studies analyzing the postoperative etiology of death among octogenarian patients with lung cancer, the results of a prospective ongoing study in Japan (JCOG2109), evaluating wedge resection vs. segmentectomy for small-sized peripherally located lung cancer in octogenarian, is expected to provide an appropriate insight on the efficient treatment strategy in the near future. In summary, long-term survival of octogenarians was shorter than that of younger populations because of short life expectancy and increased non-cancer-related deaths. However, oncological survival between both groups was similar; therefore, surgery for eligible octogenarian patients with lung cancer can improve cancer curability despite several age-related issues.
Surgical procedures: lobectomy vs. limited/sublobar resection
Regarding optimal surgical procedures for lung cancer, the extents of lung resection and lymph node dissection are controversial as prognostic factors. Ginsberg et al. demonstrated that lobectomy provided increased survival compared with limited surgery in 1995, which has been propagated until now (53). Recently, a Japanese nationwide prospective study (JCOG0802/WJOG4607L) showed that segmentectomy had an equivalent overall survival to lobectomy limited to clinical stage IA, tumor diameter ≤2 cm, and consolidation-to-tumor ratio >0.5 (54). A similar study for clinical stage IA lung cancer with radiographic tumor sizes <1, 1–1.5, and >1.5–2.0 cm is currently being performed in North America (CALGB/Alliance 140503) (55). Another Japanese nationwide retrospective study validated the non-inferiority of segmentectomy to lobectomy for clinical tumor stages of cT1b or less (56). In terms of indications for an older cohort, limited surgery (segmentectomy or wedge resection) is favored for individuals with multiple comorbidities, low respiratory function, and poor performance status. The study results comparing radical lobectomy and limited surgery were controversial (Table 8) (31,57-64). In Japanese cohort studies of patients aged ≥80 years with lung cancer, wedge resection had an acceptable impact on morbidity, and similar survival was seen, especially for small-size lung cancer, with whole tumor sizes ≤2 cm and consolidation-to-tumor ratio >0.5 (60,61). Other similar studies of lung cancer in patients aged ≥75 years reported equivalent short-term results and long-term survival between sublobar resection and lobectomy (57-59,62,64). Regarding patient age and procedure, survival after lobectomy was superior to that after limited surgery at ages ≤71 years; however, this survival difference diminished in patients aged >71 years according to an American Database surveillance (65). This study, although two decades old, showed that a radical surgical procedure did not necessarily affect the prolonged survival of older patients. In contrast, an American nationwide database study for patients with lung cancer aged 80 or above demonstrated that survival after lobectomy was superior to that after sublobar resection; the 5-year OS rates were 48.5% vs. 41.1% (P<0.001) in the unmatched cohort and 51.2% vs. 41.1% (P<0.001) in the matched cohort, respectively (63). However, in this cohort, the median tumor size for sublobar resection was 19 mm, which was relatively larger than that considered for lobectomy (25 mm). Moreover, among sublobar resections, including segmentectomy and wedge resection, the number of wedge resections was approximately 5 times higher than that of segmentectomies (n=5,178 vs. 1,192, respectively), which may explain the inferiority of sublobar resection compared to lobectomy.
Table 8
Year | Author | Sample size | Age (years) | Stage | Procedure [n] | Principal findings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Tsutani Y (57) | 205 | ≥75 | c-stage I | Lobectomy [106], segmentectomy [56], wedge resection [43] | Sublobar resection had equivalent morbidity and survival to lobectomy |
2018 | Yutaka Y (58) | 232 | ≥75 | c-stage I | Lobectomy [156], segmentectomy [50], wedge resection [26] | Sublobar resection had equivalent morbidity and survival to lobectomy |
2018 | Hino H (31) | 337 | ≥80 | c-stage I–IIIA | Lobectomy [237], Segmentectomy [28], wedge resection [66] | Sublobar resection was not a significant predictor of OS |
2019 | Zhang Z (59) | 1579 | ≥75 | c-stage I | Lobectomy [1,164], Segmentectomy [106], Wedge resection [309] | Sublobar resection was associated with significantly better perioperative outcomes |
2020 | Mimae T (60) | 58 | ≥80 | c-stage IA | Lobectomy [21], Segmentectomy [9], wedge resection [28] | Wedge resection had equivalent survival (OS and RFS) to lobectomy and segmentectomy |
2021 | Mimae T (61) | 156 | ≥80 | c-stage IA | Lobectomy + segmentectomy [90], wedge resection [66] | Wedge resection had equivalent morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival to radical surgery |
2021 | Zhang X (62) | 3345 | ≥75 | p-stage I | Lobectomy [2,415], Segmentectomy [194], Wedge resection [736] | Wedge resection should be considered for tumor size ≤1 cm |
2022 | Chan EY (63) | 25362 | ≥80 | p-stage I | Lobectomy [14,594], Segmentectomy [1,192], Wedge resection [5,178] | Lobectomy was superior to segmentectomy and wedge resection in those aged ≥80 years |
2021 | Lin YJ (64) | 258 | ≥75 | p-stage I | Lobectomy [84], Segmentectomy [46], Wedge resection [128] | Sublobar resection had equivalent morbidity and survival to lobectomy |
OS, overall survival; RFS, recurrence-free survival.
Two retrospective studies of lung cancer among individuals aged ≥75 years and octogenarians, respectively, described sublobar resection as a prognostic factor (34,58). They reported that segmentectomy and wedge resection were not significant risk factors for OS compared with lobectomy. In fact, preoperative comorbidity might have a greater impact on OS. Then, as a procedure, sublobar resection might be more successful in reducing non-cancer mortality, especially in the older cohort. Taken together, sublobar resection for small-sized tumors of approximately ≤2 cm in diameter located in the peripheral lung field seems to be a feasible procedure for older patients with comorbidities or cardiopulmonary dysfunction who are ineligible for lobectomy. In clinical practice, a surgical procedure balancing the oncological impact and severity of comorbidity and cardiopulmonary function on a case-by-case basis for older patients is necessary.
Significance of lymph node dissection for octogenarians with lung cancer
Several studies and trials have described the significance of lymph node dissection during lung cancer surgery (66-70). Overall, its role has been to aid in tumor staging and provide survival benefits for all generations. In that regard, a few Japanese studies have elaborated the significance of lymph node dissection for older patients (Table 9) (28,71,72). Okami et al. reported that mediastinal lymph node dissection and preoperative comorbidity were significantly associated with postoperative complications in octogenarians who underwent surgery for clinical stage I lung cancer (28). Additionally, Chida et al. showed that mediastinal lymph node dissection for a small cohort (n=48) of octogenarian patients with lung cancer increased the incidence of postoperative cardiac complications and increased mortality (71). Recently, Nakao et al. demonstrated that omitting mediastinal lymph node dissection for octogenarian patients with early-stage lung cancer had an equivalent impact to that of performing mediastinal lymph node dissection on overall and disease-free survivals using data from a Japanese nationwide database and propensity score matching (72). Originally, lymph node dissection was used to obtain an accurate lymph node staging and subsequently administer postoperative adjuvant therapy. However, among patients aged ≥75 years, adjuvant chemotherapy is generally not indicated due to aged-related organ damage, making lymph node dissection unnecessary. Therefore, mediastinal lymph node dissection for small-sized lung cancer in patients aged ≥75 years with multiple comorbidities and impaired cardiopulmonary function may be omitted. However, large cohort studies further clarifying the significance of mediastinal lymph node dissection for older patients are required to confirm this.
Table 9
Year | Author | Sample size | Stage | Principal findings |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Okami J (28) | 367 | c-stage I | MLND and preoperative comorbidity were associated with postoperative complications |
2009 | Chida M (71) | 48 | All stages | MLND was associated with cardiac complications and worse survival than non-MLND |
2022 | Nakao M (72) | 622 | c-stage I–IIIA | Survival of patients after HLND was equivalent to that of patients who underwent MLND for early-stage NSCLC |
MLND, mediastinal lymph node dissection; HLND, hilar lymph node dissection; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer.
Radiation as an alternative therapy for octogenarian patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Non-surgical procedures, such as radiation therapy, are employed for older patients with early-stage lung cancer who are ineligible for surgery. According to the guidelines published 3rd edition of American College of Chest Physicians, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), as an alternative treatment modality to surgery, is introduced as a definitive treatment and provides the best supportive care (73). Some studies regarding radiation therapy for octogenarians with lung cancer reported decreased morbidity with acceptable survival in these patients; however, the survival was poorer than that obtained with surgery (Table 10) (74-85). Recently, SBRT or other high-energy therapies, including carbon-ion radiotherapy and proton beam therapy, are increasingly indicated to control small-sized lung cancers in inoperable patients and have lower morbidity and mortality than surgery. Furthermore, Karnofsky Performance Status, inoperability, solid nodule, tumor size, higher C-reactive protein level, and tumor histology were reported as significant prognostic factors for lung cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy (77,79,83). According to several studies, the median OS of octogenarian lung cancer patient who underwent SBRT vs. surgery was reported as 3.5 vs. 5.6 years (76), 35.5 vs. 56.4 months (79), and 53 vs. 70 months (83) and 5-year OS as 27% vs. 50% (81), respectively, demonstrating that the survival of patients undergoing SBRT was considerably lower than that of patients undergoing surgery even after propensity score matching. We considered that majority of the patients treated with SBRT were inoperable and had a poor performance status, cardiopulmonary function, and nutritional status. Therefore, SBRT can be used for octogenarians with lung cancer and comorbidities to reduce treatment-associated adverse events despite its lower survival impact than surgery. A large cohort study is expected to clarify the optimal indications for SBRT or surgery, particularly for older patients.
Table 10
Year | Author | Sample size | Stage | Procedure | Principal findings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | van der Voort van Zyp NC (74) | 38 | c-stage I | SBRT | 2-year OS rate was 44% without grade 4 or 5 treatment-related toxicity |
2014 | Sandhu AP (75) | 24 | c-stage I | SBRT | 2-year OS and local control rates were 74 and 77% without grade ≥3 treatment-related toxicities |
2014 | Cannon NA (76) | 30 | c-stage I–IV | SBRT | 1- and 2-year OS rates were 69 and 36%, respectively, with no grade 4 and 5 toxicities |
2016 | Koyi H (77) | 48 | c-stage I–IV | SBRT | Median OS rate was 3.5 years compared with that of surgery (5.6 years) |
2017 | Cassidy RJ (78) | 58 | c-stage I | SBRT | Higher KPS was a significant prognostic factor for RFS and OS |
2018 | Lee K (79) | 422 | N.D. | SBRT | Median OS rates of SBRT and surgery groups were 35.5% and 56.4%, respectively |
2020 | Bei Y (80) | 153 | c-stage I–II | SBRT | 3-year OS rate was 65.3%. Tumor size, CRP level, histology, and performance status were prognostic factors |
2020 | de Ruiter JC (81) | 895 | p-stage I, II | SBRT | 5-year OS rate was 27% for SBRT compared with that for surgery (50%) |
2021 | Watanabe K (82) | 64 | c-stage 0–IIA | SBRT | 5-year OS rate was 47.5%. Inoperability and solid nodule were prognostic factors |
2021 | Razi SS (83) | 286 | c-stage I | SBRT | Lobectomy had superior survival compared with SBRT using propensity score matching |
2021 | Hayashi K (84) | 32 | c-stage IIA–IIIB | CIRT | The 2-year PFS and OS were 46.7% and 68.0%, respectively, with no grade ≥ IV toxicities |
2022 | Nakamura M (85) | 42 | c-stage I–II | PBT | 3-year OS and PFS rates were 79.8 and 73.9%, respectively. Survival was not inferior to that of younger populations |
SBRT, stereotactic body radiation therapy; RFS, relapse-free survival; OS, overall survival; CRP, C-reactive protein; KPS, Karnofsky Performance Status; PFS, progression-free survival; CIRT, carbon-ion radiotherapy; PBT, proton-beam therapy.
Postoperative quality of life (QOL) among older patients with lung cancer
QOL after lung resection is an important postoperative consideration for older patients with lung cancer and has been reported in several studies, including review articles (86,87) targeting septuagenarians and octogenarians (Table 11) (88-95). Burfeind et al., using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire to estimate the QOL, including physical, emotional, and social aspects, reported that the QOL of patients aged ≥70 years 3 months postoperatively was poor; however, after 6 months, their QOL was similar to younger patients (88). An Italian nationwide study reported that octogenarians with lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy had poor scores of EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-levels at discharge; however, the QOL was equivalent to that of younger patient after 1 month, demonstrating a slower recovery period in older patients (94). However, Schulte et al. revealed that patients aged ≥70 years failed to make a complete recovery compared with younger patients (92). These conclusions varied between the studies possibly because of their limitations, including selection bias and variations of measurement procedures, QOL criteria, and postsurgical intervals. Moreover, these study cohorts were small and the observational periods were as short as 1 year; therefore, long-term sequelae were not evaluated. Future research regarding variations in QOL stratified by treatment modalities, including surgery vs. radiation therapy and lobectomy vs. sublobar resection, with multi-institutional large cohorts is required. Additionally, studying QOL changes over long follow-up periods (at least once a year) is desirable.
Table 11
Year | Author | Age (years) | Total sample size | Stage | Principal findings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Septuagenarian | |||||
2008 | Burfeind WR Jr (88) | <70 vs. ≥70 | 422 | c-stage I–II | Postoperative QOL of the older cohort was reduced at 3 months; however, QOL after 6 months was similar between the younger and older cohorts |
2009 | Ferguson MK (89) | <70 vs. ≥70 | 124 | c-stage I–II | QOL after recovery from lung resection was similar between younger and older patients |
2009 | Salati M (90) | <70 vs. ≥70 | 218 | ND | SF36 domains did not differ between younger and older patients |
2009 | Balduyck B (91) | 70–79 | 60 | stage I–III | Lobectomy provides a more favorable evolution of QOL subscales than pneumonectomy |
2010 | Schulute T (92) | <70 vs. ≥70 | 131 | ND | Older patients failed to make a complete recovery |
Octogenarian | |||||
2011 | Vicidomini ND (93) | <80 vs. ≥80 | 42 | ND | The thoracotomy group had a significant reduction in the dyspnea index, FEV1, and DLCO |
2021 | Bongiolatti S (94) | <80 vs. ≥80 | 7,023 | c-stage I–III | EuroQoL5D of octogenarians was worse at discharge; however, the score was similar to that of younger populations after 1 month |
2022 | Asemota N (95) | <80 vs. ≥80 | 106 | p-stage I–III | Postoperative QOL of octogenarians remains similar to that of younger patients |
QOL, quality of life; SF-36, 36-item Short Form Health Survey; ND, not described; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in one second; DLCO, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; EuroQoL5D, EuroQol 5-dimensional questionnaire.
Sarcopenia, frailty, and postoperative delirium
With the growing number of older patients with lung cancer, not only surgical approach or procedure but also gerontological changes of physical senescence, including sarcopenia, frailty, and psychological alterations, such as cognitive decline and perioperative delirium, which are specific to older patients, should be considered. According to past publications, patients with lung cancer along with frailty and decreased muscle volume and strength consequently experienced a deteriorated overall and oncological survival (Table 12) (96-120). In detail, declining psoas muscle area (98,103,106,107,111,113,116,118,119), pectoralis muscle area (99,102,115,120), or skeletal muscle volume (96,97,100,101,104,105,108-110,112,114,117), preoperatively measured on computed tomography, had a great negative impact, recently intensively researched, on the survival of patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery. Furthermore, preoperative body weight and albumin levels in blood samples (Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index), reflecting sarcopenia, demonstrated accurate prediction for overall and oncological survival, especially for older patients with lung cancer (121). Hence, the preoperative approaches to intervene those gerontological change might possibly improve survival of older patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Subsequent prospective studies of nutritional interventions preventing sarcopenia and frailty might be necessary to clarify whether improving the nutritional condition would prolong life expectancy, especially for older patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Moreover, perioperative psychological changes, particularly delirium, are important to consider in older patients. Delirium is a well-known postoperative complication as per the European guidelines (122). However, accurate etiology and effective prevention and treatment measures following lung cancer surgery in older patients are unclear. Recent studies reported that the postoperative delirium rate was 3.3–6.7%; cerebrovascular disease history, squamous cell carcinoma, depression, current smoking status, and age ≥75 years were significant risk factors for postoperative delirium; and patients who developed delirium had significantly decreased OS (123,124). Additionally, ramelteon or dexmedetomidine reportedly reduced delirium after lung cancer surgery (125-127). However, these study cohorts were small; therefore, these findings should be carefully considered, and psychiatry changes should be carefully monitored during lung cancer surgery.
Table 12
Year | Author | Total sample size | Measured score/object |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Suzuki Y (96) | 90 | The sum of cross-sectional areas of skeletal muscles in the region of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) |
2017 | Tsukioka T (97) | 215 | The cross-section area of muscle at the third lumbar vertebra level |
2017 | Hervochon R (98) | 161 | Left psoas areas measured by CT scan at the L3 level |
2017 | Kinsey CM (99) | 252 | Pectoralis muscle area measured objectively on chest CT |
2018 | Kim EY (100) | 272 | Cross-sectional area of muscle at the third lumbar vertebra |
2018 | Takamori S (101) | 101 | Normalized skeletal muscle area at the 12th thoracic vertebra level |
2018 | Miller JA (102) | 299 | Cross-sectional area of the erector spinae muscles and pectoralis muscles |
2019 | Kawaguchi Y (103) | 173 | Total psoas muscle area at L3 level |
2019 | Nagata M (104) | 468 | The 6-month postoperative change in skeletal muscle mass index |
2019 | Sun C (105) | 314 | The truncal muscle index at the first lumbar vertebral level |
2020 | Shinohara S (106) | 391 | Psoas muscle volume |
2020 | Shinohara S (107) | 391 | The cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle at the third lumbar vertebra level |
2020 | Takamori S (108) | 204 | The skeletal muscle area at the 12th thoracic vertebra level |
2021 | Choi H (109) | 440 | The abdominal total fat volume at the waist and the skeletal muscle area |
2021 | Çınar HU (110) | 120 | The thoracic muscle mass |
2021 | Kawaguchi Y (111) | 256 | The total psoas muscle area |
2021 | Troschel FM (112) | 367 | Muscle cross-sectional area on CT at thoracic vertebral levels T8, T10, and T12 |
2021 | Miura A (113) | 259 | Psoas muscle mass index |
2021 | Tanaka S (114) | 587 | Paraspinous muscles at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra and preoperative 6MWD |
2021 | Karapınar K (115) | 161 | The psoas major muscle, the pectoralis major and minor muscles |
2021 | Daffrè E (116) | 238 | Cross-sectional total psoas area, cross-sectional total muscle area, and total parietal muscle area |
2021 | Kim EY (117) | 272 | Single cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle at the 3rd lumbar vertebra (L3) level |
2021 | Takahashi Y (118) | 315 | The lowest quartile of psoas muscle area on the 3rd vertebra |
2022 | Yamada Y (119) | 645 | Psoas muscle volume |
2022 | Sun C (120) | 341 | Pectoralis muscle index |
CT, computed tomography, 6MWD, 6-min walk distance.
Future perspective
With a progressively aging society, all these surgical and gerontological issues for non-small lung cancer treatment should be completely investigated and collaborated by medical staff, including surgeons and internal medicine physicians; co-medical staff, including physical therapists, medical social workers, and nutritionists; and the older patients themselves. Based on objective data from many previous and ongoing studies, a desirable decision-making process involving the surgeon as well as patients and their families will promote a favorable outcome in the future.
Limitations and strengths
This study has some limitations. Almost all publications selected for this review were retrospective study series, and the research intervals were >20 years due to the small number of investigations. The studies comprising an older cohort were inevitably observational, and the indications for surgery or radiation were not consistent among the studies. Moreover, newly developed immune checkpoint inhibitors have been recently used for patients with lung cancer after recurrence. As for the strengths of the study, patient outcomes across the studies were mostly consistent, and some common variables, such as prognostic factors, were detected regardless of different countries. Overall, data regarding numerous older patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent radical surgery or radiation therapy were collected, allowing a reasonably robust analysis and formulation of future perspectives.
Conclusions
Surgical outcomes of older patients with lung cancer are mostly acceptable. On this basis, we can properly select an operable patient and perform an optimal procedure mainly on a case-by-case basis according to the prior experience of the surgeon. In case of high risk, we may possibly utilize a database risk scoring system in consideration for operative indication and informed consent to a patient. We should clarify the optimal objective selection criteria for surgical indications and procedures in detail, especially for borderline surgical candidates, which will contribute to a favorable outcome. We should also consider an indication of SBRT for older patients with multiple comorbidities, who are unlikely to be eligible for surgery, in order to minimize the risk of perioperative complications. Additionally, the postoperative QOL after lung cancer surgery in older patients seemed to be almost equivalent and demonstrate a relatively slow recovery compared with those of the younger population, according to past publications. Therefore, we should cautiously follow up in older lung cancer patients, especially those with frailty or sarcopenia, in the outpatient clinic. Finally, we should focus on an impact of sarcopenia and frailty of older patient which affect postoperative outcomes especially long-term survival. Then, we might take into consideration for intervention on perioperative nutritional therapy, based on a result of ongoing investigation.
Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to Editage for their English proofreading services.
Funding: None.
Footnote
Reporting Checklist: The authors have completed the Narrative Review reporting checklist. Available at https://ccts.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/ccts-22-12/rc
Peer Review File: Available at https://ccts.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/ccts-22-12/prf
Conflicts of Interest: Both authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://ccts.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/ccts-22-12/coif). TM serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Current Challenges in Thoracic Surgery from November 2021 to October 2023. The other author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
Ethical Statement:
Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
References
- Torre LA, Siegel RL, Jemal A. Lung Cancer Statistics. Adv Exp Med Biol 2016;893:1-19. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Vital Statistics of Japan 2019. Available online: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/dl/81-1a2en.pdf (2022/9/24 access).
- Committee for Scientific Affairs. Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Japan during 2007. Annual report by the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2009;57:488-513. Erratum in: Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;64:763-6. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Committee for Scientific Affairs, The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery. Thoracic and cardiovascular surgeries in Japan during 2017: Annual report by the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2020;68:414-49. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Turrentine FE, Wang H, Simpson VB, et al. Surgical risk factors, morbidity, and mortality in elderly patients. J Am Coll Surg 2006;203:865-77. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hamel MB, Henderson WG, Khuri SF, et al. Surgical outcomes for patients aged 80 and older: morbidity and mortality from major noncardiac surgery. J Am Geriatr Soc 2005;53:424-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Nakajima J. Lung cancer surgery for octogenarians: an option for select patients only? J Thorac Dis 2018;10:S1920-2. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Blanco R, Maestu I, de la Torre MG, et al. A review of the management of elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Ann Oncol 2015;26:451-63. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Okami J. Treatment strategy and decision-making for elderly surgical candidates with early lung cancer. J Thorac Dis 2019;11:S987-97. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Information Needs for Research, Policy and Action on Ageing and Older Adults: A report of the follow-up meeting to the 2000 Harare MDS Workshop, 21 and 22 June 2001. Available online: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/69829/WHO_EIP_GPE_01.1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (2022/9/24 access).
- Ouchi Y, Rakugi H, Arai H, et al. Redefining the elderly as aged 75 years and older: Proposal from the Joint Committee of Japan Gerontological Society and the Japan Geriatrics Society. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017;17:1045-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Colice GL, Shafazand S, Griffin JP, et al. Physiologic evaluation of the patient with lung cancer being considered for resectional surgery: ACCP evidenced-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest 2007;132:161S-77S.
- Brunelli A, Charloux A, Bolliger CT, et al. ERS/ESTS clinical guidelines on fitness for radical therapy in lung cancer patients (surgery and chemo-radiotherapy). Eur Respir J 2009;34:17-41. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Brunelli A, Kim AW, Berger KI, et al. Physiologic evaluation of the patient with lung cancer being considered for resectional surgery: Diagnosis and management of lung cancer, 3rd ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest 2013;143:e166S-90S.
- Sioris T, Salo J, Perhoniemi V, et al. Surgery for lung cancer in the elderly. Scand Cardiovasc J 1999;33:222-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Higton AM, Monach J, Congleton J. Investigation and management of lung cancer in older adults. Lung Cancer 2010;69:209-12. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Dell'Amore A, Monteverde M, Martucci N, et al. Early and long-term results of pulmonary resection for non-small-cell lung cancer in patients over 75 years of age: a multi-institutional study. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2013;16:250-6. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Oxnard GR, Fidias P, Muzikansky A, et al. Non-small cell lung cancer in octogenarians: treatment practices and preferences. J Thorac Oncol 2007;2:1029-35. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Pagni S, Federico JA, Ponn RB. Pulmonary resection for lung cancer in octogenarians. Ann Thorac Surg 1997;63:785-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Brock MV, Kim MP, Hooker CM, et al. Pulmonary resection in octogenarians with stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer: a 22-year experience. Ann Thorac Surg 2004;77:271-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Port JL, Kent M, Korst RJ, et al. Surgical resection for lung cancer in the octogenarian. Chest 2004;126:733-8. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- McVay CL, Pickens A, Fuller C, et al. VATS anatomic pulmonary resection in octogenarians. Am Surg 2005;71:791-3. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Dominguez-Ventura A, Allen MS, Cassivi SD, et al. Lung cancer in octogenarians: factors affecting morbidity and mortality after pulmonary resection. Ann Thorac Surg 2006;82:1175-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Allen MS, Darling GE, Pechet TT, et al. Morbidity and mortality of major pulmonary resections in patients with early-stage lung cancer: initial results of the randomized, prospective ACOSOG Z0030 trial. Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:1013-9; discussion 1019-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Ikeda N, Hayashi A, Iwasaki K, et al. Surgical strategy for non-small cell lung cancer in octogenarians. Respirology 2007;12:712-8. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Brokx HA, Visser O, Postmus PE, et al. Surgical treatment for octogenarians with lung cancer: results from a population-based series of 124 patients. J Thorac Oncol 2007;2:1013-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Mun M, Kohno T. Video-assisted thoracic surgery for clinical stage I lung cancer in octogenarians. Ann Thorac Surg 2008;85:406-11. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Okami J, Higashiyama M, Asamura H, et al. Pulmonary resection in patients aged 80 years or over with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer: prognostic factors for overall survival and risk factors for postoperative complications. J Thorac Oncol 2009;4:1247-53. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Fanucchi O, Ambrogi MC, Dini P, et al. Surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in octogenarians. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2011;12:749-53. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Berry MF, Onaitis MW, Tong BC, et al. A model for morbidity after lung resection in octogenarians. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2011;39:989-94. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hino H, Murakawa T, Ichinose J, et al. Results of Lung Cancer Surgery for Octogenarians. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2015;21:209-16. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Matsuoka K, Ueda M, Miyamoto Y. Risk factor for respiratory death after lung cancer surgery in octogenarians. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2015;23:1044-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Detillon DDEMA, Veen EJ. Postoperative Outcome After Pulmonary Surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients. Ann Thorac Surg 2018;105:287-93. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hino H, Karasaki T, Yoshida Y, et al. Risk factors for postoperative complications and long-term survival in lung cancer patients older than 80 years. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2018;53:980-6. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Saji H, Ueno T, Nakamura H, et al. A proposal for a comprehensive risk scoring system for predicting postoperative complications in octogenarian patients with medically operable lung cancer: JACS1303. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2018;53:835-41. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Saftic I, Bille A, Asemota N, et al. Risks and rewards of the surgical treatment of lung cancer in octogenarians. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2021;33:905-12. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Bongiolatti S, Gonfiotti A, Borgianni S, et al. Post-operative outcomes and quality of life assessment after thoracoscopic lobectomy for Non-small-cell lung cancer in octogenarians: Analysis from a national database. Surg Oncol 2021;37:101530. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Srisomboon C, Koizumi K, Haraguchi S, et al. Thoracoscopic surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer: elderly vs. octogenarians. Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2013;21:56-60. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hong S, Moon YK, Park JK. Comparison of Surgical Outcomes and Survival between Octogenarians and Younger Patients after Pulmonary Resection for Stage I Lung Cancer. Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018;51:312-21. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Nakao M, Ichinose J, Matsuura Y, et al. Outcomes after thoracoscopic surgery in octogenarian patients with clinical N0 non-small-cell lung cancer. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2020;50:926-32. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Smelt J, Lovejoy CA, Thakker R, et al. Elective Lung Resections in the Elderly: Where Do We Draw the Line? Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2021;69:109-12. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Iijima Y, Iwai S, Yamagata A, et al. Is lung resection appropriate for late octogenarians? Surgical outcomes of patients aged ≥ 80 years with lung cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 2021;23:1585-92. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Ichinokawa H, Takamochi K, Fukui M, et al. Surgical results and prognosis of lung cancer in elderly Japanese patients aged over 85 years: comparison with patients aged 80-84 years. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2021;69:67-75. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Iwata T, Inoue K, Nishiyama N, et al. Lung cancer surgery in nonagenarians. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;14:314-8. [PubMed]
- Miyazaki T, Yamasaki N, Tsuchiya T, et al. Pulmonary resection for lung cancer in nonagenarians: a report of five cases. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2014;20:497-500. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Yang CJ, Brown AB, Deng JZ, et al. The Oldest Old: A National Analysis of Outcomes for Patients 90 Years or Older With Lung Cancer. Ann Thorac Surg 2020;109:350-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Fernandez FG, Kosinski AS, Burfeind W, et al. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Lung Cancer Resection Risk Model: Higher Quality Data and Superior Outcomes. Ann Thorac Surg 2016;102:370-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Brunelli A, Salati M, Rocco G, et al. European risk models for morbidity (EuroLung1) and mortality (EuroLung2) to predict outcome following anatomic lung resections: an analysis from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2017;51:490-7. [PubMed]
- Endo S, Ikeda N, Kondo T, et al. Model of lung cancer surgery risk derived from a Japanese nationwide web-based database of 78 594 patients during 2014-2015. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2017;52:1182-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Dominguez-Ventura A, Cassivi SD, Allen MS, et al. Lung cancer in octogenarians: factors affecting long-term survival following resection. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2007;32:370-4. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hino H, Karasaki T, Yoshida Y, et al. Competing Risk Analysis in Lung Cancer Patients Over 80 Years Old Undergoing Surgery. World J Surg 2019;43:1857-66. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Mimae T, Miyata Y, Yoshimura K, et al. Risk of death due to other causes is lower among octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer after wedge resection than lobectomy/segmentectomy. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2021;51:1561-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Ginsberg RJ, Rubinstein LV. Randomized trial of lobectomy versus limited resection for T1 N0 non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer Study Group. Ann Thorac Surg 1995;60:615-22; discussion 622-3. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Saji H, Okada M, Tsuboi M, et al. Segmentectomy versus lobectomy in small-sized peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer (JCOG0802/WJOG4607L): a multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial. Lancet 2022;399:1607-17. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Cancer and Leukemia Group B 140503. A phase III randomized trial of lobectomy versus sublobar resection for small (2 cm) peripheral non-small cell lung cancer. NCT00499330.
- Soh J, Toyooka S, Shintani Y, et al. Limited resection for stage IA radiologically invasive lung cancer: a real-world nationwide database study. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2022;62:ezac342.
- Tsutani Y, Tsubokawa N, Ito M, et al. Postoperative complications and prognosis after lobar resection versus sublobar resection in elderly patients with clinical Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2018;53:366-71. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Yutaka Y, Sonobe M, Kawaguchi A, et al. Prognostic impact of preoperative comorbidities in geriatric patients with early-stage lung cancer: Significance of sublobar resection as a compromise procedure. Lung Cancer 2018;125:192-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Zhang Z, Feng H, Zhao H, et al. Sublobar resection is associated with better perioperative outcomes in elderly patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study. J Thorac Dis 2019;11:1838-48. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Mimae T, Miyata Y, Tsutani Y, et al. Wedge resection as an alternative treatment for octogenarian and older patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2020;50:1051-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Mimae T, Saji H, Nakamura H, et al. Survival of Octogenarians with Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer is Comparable Between Wedge Resection and Lobectomy/Segmentectomy: JACS1303. Ann Surg Oncol 2021;28:7219-27. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Zhang X, Lin G, Li J. Comparative Effectiveness of Lobectomy, Segmentectomy, and Wedge Resection for Pathological Stage I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients: A Population-Based Study. Front Surg 2021;8:652770. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Chan EY, Amirkhosravi F, Nguyen DT, et al. Lobectomy Provides the Best Survival for Stage I Lung Cancer Patients Despite Advanced Age. Ann Thorac Surg 2022;114:1824-32. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Lin YJ, Chiang XH, Lu TP, et al. Thoracoscopic Lobectomy Versus Sublobar Resection for pStage I Geriatric Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2021;11:777590. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Mery CM, Pappas AN, Bueno R, et al. Similar long-term survival of elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with lobectomy or wedge resection within the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database. Chest 2005;128:237-45. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Izbicki JR, Passlick B, Pantel K, et al. Effectiveness of radical systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer: results of a prospective randomized trial. Ann Surg 1998;227:138-44. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Sugi K, Nawata K, Fujita N, et al. Systematic lymph node dissection for clinically diagnosed peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer less than 2 cm in diameter. World J Surg 1998;22:290-4; discussion 294-5. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Wu Yl, Huang ZF, Wang SY, et al. A randomized trial of systematic nodal dissection in resectable non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer 2002;36:1-6. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Allen MS, Darling GE, Pechet TT, et al. Morbidity and mortality of major pulmonary resections in patients with early-stage lung cancer: initial results of the randomized, prospective ACOSOG Z0030 trial. Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:1013-9; discussion 1019-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Darling GE, Allen MS, Decker PA, et al. Randomized trial of mediastinal lymph node sampling versus complete lymphadenectomy during pulmonary resection in the patient with N0 or N1 (less than hilar) non-small cell carcinoma: results of the American College of Surgery Oncology Group Z0030 Trial. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2011;141:662-70. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Chida M, Minowa M, Karube Y, et al. Worsened long-term outcomes and postoperative complications in octogenarians with lung cancer following mediastinal lymph-node dissection. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2009;8:89-92. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Nakao M, Saji H, Mun M, et al. Prognostic Impact of Mediastinal Lymph Node Dissection in Octogenarians With Lung Cancer: JACS1303. Clin Lung Cancer 2022;23:e176-84. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Howington JA, Blum MG, Chang AC, et al. Treatment of stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer: Diagnosis and management of lung cancer, 3rd ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest 2013;143:e278S-313S.
- van der Voort van Zyp NC, van der Holt B, van Klaveren RJ, et al. Stereotactic body radiotherapy using real-time tumor tracking in octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer 2010;69:296-301. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Sandhu AP, Lau SK, Rahn D, et al. Stereotactic body radiation therapy in octogenarians with stage I lung cancer. Clin Lung Cancer 2014;15:131-5. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Cannon NA, Iyengar P, Choy H, et al. Stereotactic ablative body radiation therapy for tumors in the lung in octogenarians: a retrospective single institution study. BMC Cancer 2014;14:971. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Koyi H, Hillerdal G, Kölbeck KG, et al. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in Octogenarians in Clinical Practice. Anticancer Res 2016;36:5397-402. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Cassidy RJ, Patel PR, Zhang X, et al. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early-stage Non-small-cell Lung Cancer in Patients 80 Years and Older: A Multi-center Analysis. Clin Lung Cancer 2017;18:551-558.e6. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Lee K, Kim HO, Choi HK, et al. Real-world treatment patterns for patients 80 years and older with early lung cancer: a nationwide claims study. BMC Pulm Med 2018;18:127. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Bei Y, Murakami N, Nakayama Y, et al. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer in octogenarians and older: an alternative treatment. J Radiat Res 2020;61:586-93. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- de Ruiter JC, Heineman DJ, Daniels JM, et al. The role of surgery for stage I non-small cell lung cancer in octogenarians in the era of stereotactic body radiotherapy in the Netherlands. Lung Cancer 2020;144:64-70. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Watanabe K, Katsui K, Sugiyama S, et al. Lung stereotactic body radiation therapy for elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years with pathologically proven early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study. Radiat Oncol 2021;16:39. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Razi SS, Kodia K, Alnajar A, et al. Lobectomy Versus Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Healthy Octogenarians With Stage I Lung Cancer. Ann Thorac Surg 2021;111:1659-65. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hayashi K, Yamamoto N, Nakajima M, et al. Carbon-ion radiotherapy for octogenarians with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Jpn J Radiol 2021;39:703-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Nakamura M, Ishikawa H, Ohnishi K, et al. Proton Beam Therapy in Elderly Patients With cT1-3N0M0 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Anticancer Res 2022;42:2953-60. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Poghosyan H, Sheldon LK, Leveille SG, et al. Health-related quality of life after surgical treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review. Lung Cancer 2013;81:11-26. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Pompili C. Quality of life after lung resection for lung cancer. J Thorac Dis 2015;7:S138-44. [PubMed]
- Burfeind WR Jr, Tong BC, O'Branski E, et al. Quality of life outcomes are equivalent after lobectomy in the elderly. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008;136:597-604. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Ferguson MK, Parma CM, Celauro AD, et al. Quality of life and mood in older patients after major lung resection. Ann Thorac Surg 2009;87:1007-12; discussion 1012-3. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Salati M, Brunelli A, Xiumè F, et al. Quality of life in the elderly after major lung resection for lung cancer. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2009;8:79-83. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Balduyck B, Hendriks J, Lauwers P, et al. Quality of life evolution after lung cancer surgery in septuagenarians: a prospective study. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2009;35:1070-5; discussion 1075. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Schulte T, Schniewind B, Walter J, et al. Age-related impairment of quality of life after lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer 2010;68:115-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Vicidomini ND, Guggino G, Monaco G. Quality of life in octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer: the strategic role of video assisted thoracic surgery. BMC Geriatr 2011;11:A65. [Crossref]
- Bongiolatti S, Gonfiotti A, Borgianni S, et al. Post-operative outcomes and quality of life assessment after thoracoscopic lobectomy for Non-small-cell lung cancer in octogenarians: Analysis from a national database. Surg Oncol 2021;37:101530. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Asemota N, Saftic I, Tsitsias T, et al. Quality of Life in Octogenarians After Lung Resection Compared to Younger Patients. Clin Lung Cancer 2022;23:e118-30. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Suzuki Y, Okamoto T, Fujishita T, et al. Clinical implications of sarcopenia in patients undergoing complete resection for early non-small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer 2016;101:92-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Tsukioka T, Nishiyama N, Izumi N, et al. Sarcopenia is a novel poor prognostic factor in male patients with pathological Stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Jpn J Clin Oncol 2017;47:363-8. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hervochon R, Bobbio A, Guinet C, et al. Body Mass Index and Total Psoas Area Affect Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Pneumonectomy for Cancer. Ann Thorac Surg 2017;103:287-95. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kinsey CM, San José Estépar R, van der Velden J, et al. Lower Pectoralis Muscle Area Is Associated with a Worse Overall Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26:38-43. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kim EY, Lee HY, Kim KW, et al. Preoperative Computed Tomography-Determined Sarcopenia and Postoperative Outcome After Surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Scand J Surg 2018;107:244-51. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Takamori S, Toyokawa G, Okamoto T, et al. Clinical Impact and Risk Factors for Skeletal Muscle Loss After Complete Resection of Early Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2018;25:1229-36. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Miller JA, Harris K, Roche C, et al. Sarcopenia is a predictor of outcomes after lobectomy. J Thorac Dis 2018;10:432-40. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kawaguchi Y, Hanaoka J, Ohshio Y, et al. Sarcopenia predicts poor postoperative outcome in elderly patients with lung cancer. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019;67:949-54. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Nagata M, Ito H, Yokose T, et al. Effect of progressive sarcopenia during postoperative 6 months on long-term prognosis of completely resected lung cancer. J Thorac Dis 2019;11:3411-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Sun C, Anraku M, Karasaki T, et al. Low truncal muscle area on chest computed tomography: a poor prognostic factor for the cure of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer†. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2019;55:414-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Shinohara S, Otsuki R, Kobayashi K, et al. Impact of Sarcopenia on Surgical Outcomes in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2020;27:2427-35. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Shinohara S, Otsuki R, Kobayashi K, et al. Impact of Sarcopenia on Surgical Outcomes in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2020;27:2427-35. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Takamori S, Tagawa T, Toyokawa G, et al. Prognostic Impact of Postoperative Skeletal Muscle Decrease in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Ann Thorac Surg 2020;109:914-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Choi H, Park YS, Na KJ, et al. Association of Adipopenia at Preoperative PET/CT with Mortality in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Radiology 2021;301:645-53. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Çınar HU, Çelik B, Taşkın G, et al. Low thoracic muscle mass index on computed tomography predicts adverse outcomes following lobectomy via thoracotomy for lung cancer. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2021;33:712-20. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kawaguchi Y, Hanaoka J, Ohshio Y, et al. Sarcopenia increases the risk of post-operative recurrence in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. PLoS One 2021;16:e0257594. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Troschel FM, Jin Q, Eichhorn F, et al. Sarcopenia on preoperative chest computed tomography predicts cancer-specific and all-cause mortality following pneumonectomy for lung cancer: A multicenter analysis. Cancer Med 2021;10:6677-86. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Miura A, Yamamoto H, Sato H, et al. The prognostic impact of sarcopenia on elderly patients undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer. Surg Today 2021;51:1203-11. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Tanaka S, Ozeki N, Mizuno Y, et al. Preoperative paraspinous muscle sarcopenia and physical performance as prognostic indicators in non-small-cell lung cancer. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2021;12:646-56. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Karapınar K, Toptaş M, Yurt S, et al. Retrospective study of the effect of sarcopaenia on post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Indian J Med Res 2021;154:723-31. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Daffrè E, Prieto M, Martini K, et al. Total Psoas Area and Total Muscular Parietal Area Affect Long-Term Survival of Patients Undergoing Pneumonectomy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021;13:1888. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kim EY, Kim YJ, Kim YS, et al. Prognostic significance of radiodensity-based skeletal muscle quantification using preoperative CT in resected non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Dis 2021;13:754-61. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Takahashi Y, Suzuki S, Hamada K, et al. Sarcopenia is poor risk for unfavorable short- and long-term outcomes in stage I non-small cell lung cancer. Ann Transl Med 2021;9:325. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Yamada Y, Shimada Y, Makino Y, et al. Clinical utility of psoas muscle volume in assessment of sarcopenia in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023;149:3277-85. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Sun C, Anraku M, Kawahara T, et al. Combination of Skeletal Muscle Mass and Density Predicts Postoperative Complications and Survival of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 2022;29:1816-24. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hino H, Saito T, Matsui H, et al. Utility of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index in patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2020;58:775-82. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Aldecoa C, Bettelli G, Bilotta F, et al. European Society of Anaesthesiology evidence-based and consensus-based guideline on postoperative delirium. Eur J Anaesthesiol 2017;34:192-214. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hayashi K, Motoishi M, Sawai S, et al. Postoperative delirium after lung resection for primary lung cancer: Risk factors, risk scoring system, and prognosis. PLoS One 2019;14:e0223917. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Ishibashi H, Wakejima R, Asakawa A, et al. Postoperative Delirium in Lung Cancer Anatomical Resection-Analysis of Risk Factors and Prognosis. World J Surg 2022;46:1196-206. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Miyata R, Omasa M, Fujimoto R, et al. Efficacy of Ramelteon for delirium after lung cancer surgery. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2017;24:8-12. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Campbell AM, Axon DR, Martin JR, et al. Melatonin for the prevention of postoperative delirium in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr 2019;19:272. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Huyan T, Hu X, Peng H, et al. Perioperative Dexmedetomidine Reduces Delirium in Elderly Patients after Lung Cancer Surgery. Psychiatr Danub 2019;31:95-101. [Crossref] [PubMed]
Cite this article as: Hino H, Murakawa T. Lung cancer surgery for older patients: a narrative review. Curr Chall Thorac Surg 2023;5:46.